Screen
by Wings Of Sanguine
Summary: After the orientation ceremony at SFIT, Honey Lemon and the gang meet Tadashi Hamada, a bright young man with an even brighter future. As they explore college life and form close bonds though, the others can't help but notice how attentive their teacher is with Tadashi, and they can't help but see Tadashi disappear until it might be too late. (DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BIG HERO SIX)
1. Chapter 1

Honey Lemon had been sipping on green tea when her friend had spotted him.

"Honey get a load of him," Go Go Tomago had said, raising an eyebrow with obvious interest. Honey Lemon followed her gaze to set her eyes on a tall young man.

Go Go, with her spunky attitude (that Honey joked matched her hair, with it's purple streaks), was not the type to check out guys often, Honey knew. But as she looked at this boy Go Go pointed out, she couldn't help but stare along with her.

At a distance, he was a bit hard to make out, what, with the crowd having gathered that morning at the entrance ceremony. He was wearing a gray cardigan with a pair of black skinny jeans, and on his feet were what she made out to be mint green sneakers. A baseball cap was on his head, obscuring his hair from view. With a brown messenger bag slung across his body, he looked like your average, run-of-the-mill college freshman.

"You have a crush, Go Go?" Honey Lemon teased the shorter girl. She scowled, ruffling her short black hair and blowing a large pink bubble, which Honey Lemon had the urge to pop. Of course, if she did, it would probably result in the sticky pink treat to get all over her face and hair.

"Am I not allowed to point out guys without it having to be a crush?" Go Go complained as she slumped down in the auditorium seat, "I mean, come on!" Honey laughed, fidgeting in her own seat. The plastic seat was uncomfortable, creating static friction between her legs and the soft yellow leggings she was wearing. She looked around, holding her cup of tea carefully between her fingers. It was getting crowded, and she could feel her skin start to prickle with sweat.

"It's a little hot, isn't it?" Honey commented after a few seconds of awkward silence. Go Go shrugged, stretching her legs out until she was blocking the path to the row of chairs.

"Take off that dumb sweater," she said. Honey rolled her eyes. Typical Go Go, to call everything dumb. Nevertheless, Honey slipped off the heavy pink cashmere she had worn over her clothes, and immediately, she felt a rush of cool air on her bare arms.

"So," she carefully folded her sweater in her lap, slipping her tea into one of the chairs cup holders, "how was your summer?" Go Go shrugged again.

"Visited relatives in South Korea for half the summer," Go Go replied nonchalantly, "what about you? Any Spanish relatives come visit?" Honey shook her head, wisps of blond hair falling in her face.

"No, they were too busy this year," Honey said, "But I did do some experiments in my toolshed!" At this, Go Go almost choked on her gum- from laughing, Honey assumed, as her shoulders were jerking up and down, cheeks turning red.

"_More_ chemistry?!" Go Go exclaimed, "_Please_ tell me you _didn't_ blow up your toolshed?" Now it was Honey's turn to be embarrassed. During the experiment, the mixing of some of her chemicals didn't exactly work out a she had calculated. Go Go groaned as Honey blushed, saying, "Sometimes I think you're like the reincarnation of Dr. Frankenstein or something, with the way you use those things."

"At least no one go hurt, right?" Honey said sheepishly, although she knew Go Go was right; she really had to work on perfecting her chemical compound calculations. More people were filing into the auditorium, Honey noticed as she decided to take a quick peek around.

She didn't see the tall boy anywhere.

"I guess," Go Go caught Honey's attention, and Honey turned to see Go Go push herself back up to sit properly in her chair, her feet quite not making it to the ground as she let her legs dangle. _I guess that's the curse that comes with being short_, Honey thought. A low buzz settled in the room as new students were taking their seats, and Honey felt a shiver of excitement run down her spine.

San Fransokyo Institue Of Technology was the greatest place for scientists to expand their talents. That was why she had applied- she hoped one day to become a great chemist, one who would hopefully change the world. As was the case with everyone else in the room, it seemed, as Honey watched a lanky boy waltz into the room and yell with a sort of relaxed bravado, "Who's ready to change the world?!"

"Nervous?" Go Go cut through her thoughts.

"A little, I guess," Honey said, "I mean, we're finally _college_ students, Go Go! Isn't that exciting?" Go Go shrugged, leaning the crook of her arm over the back of her seat, eyes narrowed at student as they filed in. Some sat alone, others waved to friends. Some, she noticed, made small talk, and she was sure those that did were to become fast friends later on in the year.

It always happened at one point, anyway.

"Honey," Go Go popped her gum, "when did you say this thing started?" Honey let out a small "Oh, right!", going to check her wrist when she realized: she didn't wear watches. She was never able to find one cute enough to coordinate with her outfits. She opened her mouth to apologize, both girls surprised to hear a deep voice come out instead.

"The brochure stated they start orientation around nine, so that should be in five minutes."

Honey glanced up to find the tall boy Go Go had pointed out grinning politely at them, his thumb hitched under the strap of his bag. Up close, she could see he had Japanese features, with pretty almond eyes and blemish free skin. Under the baseball cap he wore Honey could see he had short black hair, and he wore a white t-shirt with a ninja emblazoned on the front under his cardigan. Go Go eyed Honey smugly as he pointed to the seat next to her.

"Sorry," the boy apologized, his cheeks tinging red, "Uh, is it okay if I sit here? I can't really find anywhere else." Honey glanced at Go Go, who just shrugged, chomping on her gum to blow another bubble. Honey nodded, smiling broadly.

"Sure!" she said, and the boy carefully setting himself down. Resting his elbows on his knee, he leaned forward a bit so he was looking at both girls.

"I'm Honey Lemon," Honey introduced herself, feeing her smile grow wider. The boy nodded as Go Go popped her gum, drawling, "Go Go Tomago, pleasure to meet you."

"Tadashi Hamada," the boy returned the sentiment, "Nice to meet you two as well." There was an awkward silence as everyone absorbed what they had just learned- even then, it wasn't anything, just a simple name. A label given to you at birth, if it were to be anything significant.

Tadashi cleared his throat after a few minutes, "So, are you two freshman as well?"

"Oh, yes!" Honey answered- bit too quickly, she realized, the look on Tadashi's face telling her she caught him off guard. Brushing wisps of hair out of her face, she said more quietly, "Sorry- uh, yeah, we are." Honey watched as Tadashi nodded, a tendon in his neck straining with the motion.

"So that means we have four years together, huh?" Tadashi teased them. Honey rolled her eyes and Go Go groaned, although both girls were secretly flattered to have such a handsome guy talking to them. As soon as Tadashi had approached them, Honey thought she could feel the stares of every other girl boring into her and Go Go's backs, like a knife cutting through a loaf of bread.

Who could blame them, though? It was hard not to notice Tadashi, with the way he looked and all.

It looked like the same could be said with the staff, one of the teachers strolling in as the lights dimmed down to a pitch black, save a spotlight that followed a man as he got up on stage, the beam sweeping the floor a few inches from his feet. Honey swore that as he scanned the crowd with scrutinizing eyes, he paused briefly as he passed over Tadashi, lingering for a minute before forcing himself to look away, focus on the task at hand.

Footsteps echoed as the man crossed the stage, brushing off a maroon colored sweater vest over a gray button down shirt, paired with brown khaki pants. Feedback blew out from the microphone as he tapped it gently, everyone collectively wincing at the sound. They heard the man cough as he leaned closer to the microphone, sighing with a heave of his shoulders.

"My name is Robert Callaghan," the man said, adding, "Although that would be Professor Callaghan to all of you. Anyway, I want to welcome you all to your first semester at SFIT. Here, we use science to change the world- and I hope that's exactly what you, as students, will do." He nodded a small thanks and began to stride off the stage, jogging a little as he went down the small set of steps.

As soon as he had left the microphone, he was greeted with uproarious applause. Honey thought the speech was a tad short, but drove home the point anyway. As she clapped politely, she glanced over at Go Go. The girl was looking as bored as ever, popping and snapping her gum. Sighing, she turned her attention to Tadashi.

Admiration was obvious in his eyes, and he as clapping so hard his hands were turning red, his knuckles turning white. She wasn't sure who Professor Callaghan was, and she had just met Tadashi, but if the man was able to make a student look so in awe with a few simple words, she figured e couldn't be all that bad.

Later, as a few more professors made speeches, and the excitement had died down, Honey helped Go Go strap on her rollerblades. They were heavy, painted black with a set of purple wheels.

"Those are sick," Tadashi complimented, and Honey thought she could see the slightest of a blush creep across her friend's cheeks as she slipped on her helmet.

"Oh, woman up," was all she could say, waving a quick good-bye to Honey as she wheeled through the crowd, almost knocking into a teacher as she went. Calls flew after ruer about not being allowed to skate indoors. Go Go, Honey knew, didn't exactly care, sending the middle finger behind her as she exited the auditorium.

"She seems nice," Tadashi said awkwardly, shoving his hands nonchalantly in his pockets. Honey smiled for what seemed like the millionth time that day.

"Yeah, but she's really nice once you get to know her," Honey backed him up. Tadashi nodded, fixing the bill of his black baseball cap so it was tilted slightly backwards, showing off his black hair.

"What about you? Are you nice?" he asked. Honey faltered as she opened her mouth, feeling heat rise to her cheeks.

How was she supposed to answer that? Sure, she was an overall bubbly person, with her bright pink and yellow clothes, and all the smiling she did was bound to hurt her cheeks after a while. But was she a nice person? Honey shrugged; no one had ever asked her this before, and she never contemplated the possibility of her having _not_ been a nice person. She told Tadashi so.

"I guess we'll see then," he joked, giving her a crooked smile. He reached into his messenger bag, replacing his brochure with a piece of paper. A schedule, Honey realized. "What do you have?" Honey rummaged through her own purse, pushing aside multiple cosmetics- lipstick, eyeliner, the works, realizing she probably had to sort through it later, given that she probably needed to buy new makeup anyway. Finally, she found her schedule, the paper all crinkled, with smears of lip gloss and foundation and the like decorating the borders. Awkwardly, she handed it to Tadashi to compare.

"Wow…" Tadashi murmured, and Honey saw his eyes flit to each make-up stain, "Did the entirety of Sephora's make=up collection vomit on your schedule?" Honey giggled, shaking her head.

"No, I was experimenting with colors," she said as Tadashi scanned the two papers, nodding as he went down the lists.

"Looks like we have Robotics class together, huh?" Tadashi said, handing back her paper. She took it gingerly, carefully tucking it into her purse. She had to be more careful with how she used her make-up.

"Really? Go Go has that with me too!" she said cheerfully, clapping her hands. Nodding, Tadashi gestured t her bag, which held her schedule.

"So, why were you experimenting with colors?" he asked, adding "If you don't mind me asking."

"Oh, uh, I'm a chemistry major" Honey explained, laughing off the awkwardness of the question, "and I like bright colors-"

"As it shows," he gestured to her clothes. Honey smiled a little, pausing before she continued.

"- and I was trying to create a new shade of pink!" she said, "So yeah…. that's what's with all the make-up- sorry if I got any on you, by the way…." Tadashi gave her another crooked grin, and Honey felt her pulse race a little. It wasn't love, she knew- love made your heart beat faster, your palms get sweaty, things like that. This was more of a zing of fear up her spine, infused with the optimism of eating an entire ice cream sundae by yourself. That, or hopefully her green tea wasn't trying to come up for air.

"I bid you luck with that," Tadash said as they began walking through the auditorium, the light streaming in as they opened the doors that lead outside. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the lanky kid that had yelled about changing the world talking with a burly African American boy. They were quite a pair to look at too, with the other man being so much taller than him.

Tadashi squinted as they went outside, lowering his baseball cap, Honey braving the light face on. Of course, she was used to it, having remodeled her funky pink glasses to triple as a pair of goggles, regular glasses, _and_ sunglasses.

All in all, she was putting fashion to good use in the science world.

And with her friends by her side, that was what she intended to do.


	2. Chapter 2

Wasabi groaned, rubbing his temples as he walked into the auditorium. Everywhere he looked, it was crowded, and he knew in a few minutes it would be hot ad sweaty. He just couldn't fathom all the body germs that would soon be going around once people actually _started_ sweating. It made his skin crawl, to be honest. In fact, he could feel the pits of his sweater begin to dampen ever so slightly, and he knew he was going to regret having worn it if he had known it was going to be so packed in the auditorium.

"Honey, get a load of him."

Wasabi turned to the sound to see two girls sitting a few seats away. One was tall, wight annex skin and blond hair, wearing an adorable ensemble of pink and yellow. The other was short, with spiky black hair that had purple streaks. She wore what poked like a bike messenger's outfit, with a pair of basketball shorts over black and purple leggings, a great jacket over a white t-shirt. She was popping gum, the bubble big enough to block her face from view. Wasabi blushed, suddenly acutely aware of his attire.

_Are they looking at me?_ Wasabi brushed back his brown dreadlocks, which he had tied up with a green bandana. He let his eyes hover on them for a moment, straining to hear what they were saying. The blond girl was drinking something out of a cup; he assumed it was coffee, since it seed every girl in San Fransokyo was drinking the stuff these days.

"You have a crush, Go Go?" he heard the blond ask her friend, and Wasabi blushed even harder, his temples pounding.

Was he hearing correctly?

A crush? On _him_, of all people?!

As he was trying to listen, the burly man deflated at this Go Go's next words:

"Am I not allowed to point out a guy without it having to be a crush? I mean _come on!_"

Well, that settled it. Wasabi sighed, deciding then to follow their gazes. Because it seemed that they weren't staring at him, so they had to be looking at someone else, right? He scanned the crowd, narrowing his eyes at possible subjects until he saw him.

He had walked in, mixed in with a crowd of other students. The boy was tall, wearing a grey cardigan over a white t-shirt, matched with brown pants and green sneakers. Slung over his shoulder was a brown messenger bag, and a black baseball cap was on his skull, black hair poking out from underneath.

_Yup_, Wasabi thought, it has to be him. _They definitely like him_. His suspicions were confirmed at their reactions when he approached them, and Wasabi cringed- not because of those girl's obvious crushes on the other boy, but Wasabi had realized an unfortunate thing: if he didn't find someone to sit with, and soon, that meant he was stuck with the only person he talked to at the moment…

And said person had decided to burst into the room as loudly as possible.

"Who's ready to change the world?!" Fred jumped into the room, startling a nearby group as he pumped his fists in the air. Wasabi slapped a hand to his forehead- that was the usual Fred, always making a scene. Wasabi tried shrinking back into an empty nearby chair, but there was none.

Fred was, quite frankly, an extremely annoying kid, and Wasabi did not want to have to inexact with him for the duration of the orientation ceremony. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, that's exactly what happened.

"Hey, Wasabi!" Fred called, jogging over to greet him, "How's it hanging, buddy?" Wasabi fought the urge not to groan out loud as he forced a polite smile, nodding his head in Fred's direction.

"_Hey_…. Fred!" he said with false cheer, the muscles in his face beginning to twitch, and it had been way, five se seconds at most? Along with the urge to groan, Wasabi struggled not to gag as Fred caught him off-guard, wrapping him in a big bear hug. The stench wafting from the kid's clothes was terrible- and that was putting it kindly, unfortunately. Wasabi stole a hick glance back at the girls from the corner of his eye.

The other boy and the blond girl were chatting away, the short girl looking rather bored as she snapped her gum. Fred's voice bought his attention, Wasabi kindly trying his best to focus on what he was saying.

"Dude, this year is gonna be so _awesome!_" Fred exclaimed, playfully punching Wasabi's arm. Wasabi rubbed at the spot, making a mental note that he would have to burn his sweater later. Sure, it was mean o think such thing, but Fred wasn't exactly the cleanliest of people.

In fact, Wasabi was sure Fred hadn't ever learned what the word _hygiene_ meant, let alone the word _clean_. His hair, which was always slapped under a green beanie, was greasy, the brownish-blond strands looking almost like congealed spaghetti. The ends were also split and frizzed to no end, like he had just stuck his finger into an electrical socket. His clothes always had some sort of mysterious stain on them; thankfully today was not the case, but Wasabi knew one was bound to show up over time.

"Is it now?…" Wasabi said uneasily, his smile faltering as Fred nodded.

"Of course! I get to hang out with my best bud every day! Doing science- WOO HOO!" Fred chuckled, snapping his fingers at Wasabi, "Isn't that great?" Wasabi raised an eyebrow in disdain- how did Fred manage to get into this school? Last time Wasabi checked, all Fred did was sit around and read comic books. When did he ever take science seriously at all?

"I'm sorry, you have friends?" Wasabi couldn't help but joke, a twinge of guilt building in his gut. Fred gave him a confused glare, plopping himself down in a nearby seat. Wasabi followed suit- he may as well, considering there were almost no seats left in the theater. He was acutely aware of staring, multiple eyes digging into his spine; he realized this was due to those two girls, the ones he had thought were talking about him earlier. Looking over, Wasabi saw the three of them had gotten comfortable, the girls sitting in their general vicinity throwing daggers.

_Geez_, Wasabi thought, _girls can be harsh… _

"Very funny, man," Fred clicked his tongue, breaking through Wasabi's thoughts, "Anyway, how was your summer?" Wasabi was caught off-guard by such a casual question, clearing his throat as he pondered n answer.

"It was good, it was good," he replied, "I opened up a sushi shop, so that's been going pretty well." Fred nodded, splaying his fingers as if he were a therapist listening intently to a patient, pursing his lips in perfect imitation of the practice.

"Sounds rad," he said, "I'll have to come by and try some one day. What's the address?"

Wasabi hesitantly pulled out a slip of paper and a pencil, scrawling the directions in neatly swirled cursive before giving it to him. Sure, he didn't really like Fred all that much, but business was business, after all. Coughing into his fist, he asked, "So, how about you? Do anything fun?"

Fred shrugged, "Eh, i guess. Went to Cancun, then Germany. Visited my parents at the family island for a few day…." Wasabi couldn't help but notice a sort of sadness creep into Fred's eyes, the slight hanging of his head at the mention of his folks. It was quickly replaced with the child-like intensity they always had as he grinned, swatting his words away a if they were a fly, "The usual thing, nothing fancy. I'm just excited they actually let me come in, you know?"

Wasabi hadn't noticed the lights had dimmed while they were talking, nodding as an older man walked in, greeted with a spotlight and polite applause. Thankfully, Fred shut up long enough for him to hear the man as he began speaking, his voice echoing as he coughed into the microphone.

"My name is Robert Callaghn, although that would be Professor Callaghan to you all," the man opened, grinning at the garnered laughter from a corner of the audience. Wasabi grinned along with everyone went on to talk about the school.

Now was his chance to sneak a peek at those two girls. He did so as discreetly as he could, and he heaved a sigh. The short girl was looking possibly even more bored than before, still chewing and blowing bubbles with her gum. The blond girl, however, was eyeing the other boy with curiosity, before turning her attention back to Professor Callaghan as he spoke up on stage. Wasabi let his gaze fall on the boy.

He was looking at the Professor with excitement, his mouth spread into a cocky, crooked grin. Te look on his face showcased how happy he must have been, because Wasabi couldn't tell if the kid had just won the lottery or if he was sitting at an orientation ceremony for college. And now that he was getting a good look at him (even if it was dark), he could see the boy was fairly younger than those around him.

_Weird_, Wasabi thought, quickly turning back around in his seat as Professor Callaghan left the stage, receiving uproarious applause from the students. The lights made Wasabi blink, his pupils having dilated to get used to the darkness. Dots of color danced in front of him a he rubbed his eyes, trying to get used to the now brightly lit atmosphere. Fred followed him as he pushed himself up out of his set, heading for the exit.

"Man, that speech was awesome," Fred said, Wasabi nodding in agreement.

"Sure, sure…" he trailed, not really paying attention to what he was saying. All he wanted was to get out of the crowded auditorium and get some fresh air- maybe lose Fred in the process. Yes, it was a terrible thing t think, but the kid was kind of like a leech, with the way he was always hanging around, sometimes popping up out of nowhere. He felt the sweat on his clothes get even worse as he made his way outside, sundays beating down on him. Wasabi wiped at his forehead, feeling his skin burn with heat from under the soft clothing material.

"So I've basically got like, no schedule, which is weird, because I applied for some of the classes and everything-" Fred began, his voice fading as Wasabi tried blocking him out, his eyes flitting in every direction. His shoulders stiffened once he noticed the blond girl stealing a quick peek at him from over her shoulder, quickly turning back as she helped her friend with a pair of roller blades, then walking off with the other boy.

"- but then I said 'Leaf me alone, I'm bushed!'" Fred came back into focus, on the verge of tears as he delivered the punchline to a joke Wasabi obviously missed, nor did he care about. Fred wiped at his eyes, shoulder jerking with laughter. "Ah, man… but anyway, I'll definitely stop by your sushi shop sometime. Hey!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure, come in anytime," Wasabi licked his lips, nodding in earnest. He really didn't want to talk to Fred anymore- why couldn't this kid take a hint?

"Not that, no," Fred shook his head, "I was saying that there was this cafe nearby, I think it was called 'The Lucky Cat Cafe' or whatever, but we can hang out there on weekends, you know? Like, grab a bunch of friends and chat over donuts or something." Wasabi took a minute to process Fred's request. It was really quite simple: have a chat over donuts and coffee and be done, part ways. Wasabi had to admit, it sounded nice, and even though he didn't like Fred all that much, maybe it was worth a shot. _Besides_, Wasabi thought, _if we're with other people as well, how bad can it be? _He shrugged, Fred grinning like a Chesire cat.

"Sure, why not?" Wasabi agreed, "Sounds fun." Fred gave him a thumbs up as they walk down the building's main pathway that lead to the curb. Students were getting into rows of cars, light reflecting off the hoods. A dinky red fire hydrant sat on the street corner, next to a tall yellow stop light post. His own car, a small brown Volks-wagon minivan, sat two cars away from where they stood. Wasabi felt Fred watching him as he dug around his pocket for his keys.

"Great!" Fred said, "I'l bring my friends- you'll like them. Honey Lemon and Go Go, they're cool chicks." Wasabi chuckled, giving Fred a sly smile. He wasn't one to talk to girls, and if he did, they were usually through chatrooms and online social media.

"You have friends who are girls?" Wasabi asked skeptically. Fred shrugged, gesturing to himself.

"What can I say?" he said, "The ladies just can't resist this!" Wasabi laughed as Fred blew a raspberry. "Nah, I'm just kidding. But you'll like them, they're cool." Wasabi jingled his keys triumphantly as he pulled them out of his pocket, the metal deliciously cold against his sunburnt skin. As he began walking to his car, he noticed Fred still standing there, idly rocking back and forth n his heels. Wasabi stopped, knowing he was probably going to regret asking.

"Hey! You want a ride home or something?" Wasabi called, thankfully relieved when Fred shook his head, tossing him another thumbs-up.

"Nah, it's cool!" Fred called back, "My friend said he'd come get me. Thanks for the offer though, that's awesome!" Wasabi smiled, shaking his head as he waved goodbye, ambling to his car. Climbing ingot eh driver's seat, the engine purred as he start fit up, fixing his rearview mirror before peeling off the curb and onto the street.

This year, he deeded, was going to be a good year. And Fred- being a nuisance as usual- was not going to hinder that.


	3. Chapter 3

Tadashi held the door open for Honey and Go Go as they reached the cafe, Honey nodding politely as she ducked through the small doorway. Tadashi made a mental note to try and convince his aunt to get that fixed. Of course, it didn't really help that Honey was so tall- or that she decided to wear heels, which made her almost as tall or Sasquatch or Bigfoot. Tadashi kept that to himself, seeing as it was a bit rude. It was kind of funny though, seeing two totally different girls being best friends.

"Wow!" Honey breathed as Tadashi awkwardly pushed passed them to get to the counter, "This is so cute!" Go Go nodded, her brown eyes lazily drinking in the details. The walls were all a deep green, with wall dividers sitting between tables for more privacy if you wanted. Paper lanterns decorated some of the tables, flickering behind the thin paper screens. The tables by the front were carefully clustered together, made of a brown oak wood with deeply etched grains swirling on the surfaces. Menus sat in little dispensers at each table, alongside little salt and pepper shakers. Honey picked one up, turning git over in her slender fingers carefully.

"Oh, it's so cute, Go Go, look!" Honey shoved it at Go Go, who took it from her, inspected it, and shrugged, placin git gently back down on the table with a soft clink. They were shaped like small cats, one paw sculpted to scratch at the air. They were all pained white with brown spots, the pepper shakers painted like black cats with startling green eyes.

"That was my Aunt Cass's idea," Tadashi called to them, and he grinned that crooked smile of his when they turned in unison, walking slowly up to the counter. Tadashi was standing behind the counter now, slipping on a blue apron around his waist. A pad and pencils sat on the countertop, some of the pages filled with messy handwriting. The girls watched as Tadashi slipped off his cap, letting his hair free to stick out almost straight in that weird style boys sometimes had- it wasn't exactly long, nor short, so it kind of just ended up sticking out a bit from his forehead like he was wearing his baseball cap. Honey glanced down at the pad, eyeing the handwriting curiously before picking her head up.

"Does your aunt like cats?" Go Go asked. Before he could answer, a small "Meow! sounded, and Go Go jumped as a rather large, rotund animal hopped up on the counter. Its fur was white with brown patches- the same as the shakers, Go Go realized- and Tadashi laughed as it perked its ears up, rubbing it fur against his chest. Tadashi ran his fingers through the animal's fur.

"Honey, Go Go, meet Mochi," Tadashi introduced the cat, who purred loudly, ears rising and falling with each heavy breath. Honey reached out tentatively, drawing back before her fingers even grazed his fur. Noticing this, Tadashi gently pushed the cat towards them, and Mochi cocked his head at them, licking his lips at their confused faces.

"What's it want?" Go Go sneered, hunching her shoulders.

"Go Go!" Honey scolded her friend, jabbing gear sharply in the ribs. Turning back to Tadashi, she smiled, "He's so cute!" Tadashi jutted his chin at Mochi.

"You can pet him, you know. He doesn't bite," Tadashi explained, and he swiped up the pad and pencil, getting out from behind the counter. "Now if you excuse me, I've got work." The two girls were taken by surprise. Tadashi grinned as Honey gestured to the diners, "You work here?" He nodded.

"Who do you think runs this joint?" he joked, tucking the pencil behind his ear. It was always funny, seeing his friends reactions to this joke. Of course, this wasn't _really_ his restaurant. Aunt Cass was the one who actually owned it- he just worked here. Sometimes his little brother ran shifts (or at least tried to), but he was usually off doing who knew what, so Tadashi took it upon himself to do most of the work. Not that it wasn't fun, but sometimes he felt it was a hassle. Go Go crossed her arms, snapping her gum in an accusatory manner, if that was even possible.

"You're kidding." she said. Tadashi sighed, running a hand through his hair. A bell on the front door tingled to signal new customers, and Tadashi glanced over his shoulder to see a gaggle of girls waltz in, laughing at something on their phones.

Tadashi groaned. Customers like that were definitely a handful, so it as always best to serve them as soon as possible. Seeing them somehow reminded him of when Aunt Cass had first opened the cafe- he'd run around trying to serve everyone tea, crying when she told him to go back into the house and go to bed. A soft thump signaled Mochi jumping to the floor, and Tadashi peered over honey's shoulder to see the cat disappear back up the stars to the living space he had set up earlier that year with his aunt and brother.

Finally he focused his attention back to the girls, who were standing there awkwardly, looking at their surroundings. A low din in the cafe only managed to echo the awkwardness.

But Tadashi could only guess that's what happened when you first met people. Sighing, he finally said, "Can I take you guys to a table, get you something to eat?" Honey broke out into a broad grin, clapping her hands excitedly. Go Go nodded, shifting her weight as she stood there.

"Of course!" Honey said, "We'd love to!" Nodding, Tadashi ushered them to a seat by the window, light streaming in through the glass. Golden lettering was painted on the inside of the window, and Tadashi noticed Honey marveling at the glitter painted on each word. Flipping the pad open, he said, "So, ladies, I'm Tadashi, I'll be your server today-"

"Dude, really?" Go Go popped her gum in disbelief.

"It's protocol," Tadashi stated before continuing, "So, what can i get you?" The girls picked up the two menus that sat on the table, their nails clicking against the laminated surfaces as they flipped through the pages. Tadashi glanced quickly over at the group of girls that and come in- they were eyeing him quizzically, on elf them looking rather annoyed. He ignored them, turning his attention back to his friends.

"Uh, I'll have some fish and chips," Go Go said, closing her menu, neary slamming it onto the table as she did so. Honey purse her lips, scrutinizing each item before folding git up, saying, "I'll have some cheese blintzes. With green tea!" Nodding, Tadashi wrote each item down carefully, making sure his handwriting was legible. Aunt Cass was always complaining about how his handwritten got sloppy when he rushed, so he did his best to humor her. Being the only one who cooked didn't really help either, but Tadashi knew he himself was not a good chef, so he left all the cooking to her.

"Alright," Tadashi said, "I'll be back soon. Sit tight." He felt multiple pair sod eyes boring into his skull as he went back tot eh counter, and he knew that group of girls was still looking at him. Honey and Go Go probably were too, but he knew they were only trying to be polite. As soon as he got behind the counter, he tossed the pad on the countertop, cracking his knuckles as he yelled over his shoulder.

"Aunt Cass! We've got an order!" His aunt appeared from the stairs, hurriedly brushing her short brown hair. It was messy and in her face, but Tadashi thought it suited her. She was an 'in your face' kind of person, after all.

"Woo! I'm up, I'm here!" she said, pinching Tadashi's cheek as she joined him, slipping on a blue apron for herself. "What's up?" Tadashi slid the notepad across to her.

"My friends came over," Tadashi said, "And they're hungry." Cass smiled at him as she scanned the paper.

"Your handwriting has definitely gotten better," Cass joked, making Tadashi grin. There was a pregnant pause before Cass added "Who's Honey and Go Go?" Tadashi felt his cheeks turn red, and he rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't really sure why he was getting so nervous though- the three of them had just met, so of course, it was going to be a little awkward, but this awkward? Tadashi let out a sigh, jutting his chin at the table by the window.

"My friends," Tadashi said, "I met them at orientation and we decided to stop here for a bite." Cass struggled to spot them, finally asking, "The tall one and the short one?" Tadashi nodded.

"Honey and Go Go, yes," Tadashi clarified, "Now let's feed them before they decide not to come anymore, yeah?" Cass ruffled his hair, swiping the notepad and disappearing to the kitchen.

"Whatever you say, college man!" Cass yelled loud enough for a few of the diners to hear, nods of approval vein sent Tadashi's way. Tadashi returned the sentiment, ducking down to grab a rag and started wiping down the wood. It was already clean, but now that he didn't have anything to do, he may as well make himself look busy, He could smell the food being made, the spun dog cheese sizzling as it melted. The smell of codfish wafted to the main dining area, tickling Tadashi's nostril. Saliva pooled in his mouth, which made Tadashi realize that he hadn't eaten anything before orientation.

A plate of donuts sat in a glass display case on the counter, and Tadashi felt his fingers crawl across the polished table to lift the cover, gently placing it down to reveal the donuts in all their glory. His stomach rumbled as he eyed them, a wolf getting ready to jump on a deer. Should I….? Tadashi thought, hesitating as he reached for one. He looked around. People are not paying him any mind. Honey and Go Go were, however, returning glares from the other table of girls. Well, really just Go Go. Honey was trying to hide behind her menu, hunching her shoulders until they touched the tips of her ears. He thought for a minute that he could hear words being exchanged, nasty tones being uttered, but he wasn'st really sure. He eyed the donuts almost lustfully once more.

Then Tadashi grabbed one. He swiped it off the plate, careful not to disturb the other donuts that sat there peacefully, and took a bite. His mouth sang praise as crumbly bits of dough and chocolate collided with his tastebuds, and he swallowed gratefully. Ravenously, he took another bite, revealing in the way the chocolate went down his throat.

"I saw that, young man!" Tadashi froze, and Aunt Cass carried out a platter with two plates on it, handing it to him, "What did I say about eating the merchandise?" Tadashi gave her a sheepish grin, crumbs falling onto his chin.

"Eat enough to get big and strong?" Tadashi said through bites of dough. Cass scowled, unable to help the smile playing on her lips. Nodding, Tadashi swallowed the last of it, taking the tray from his aunt.

"Sorry Aunt Cass," Tadashi said, getting out from behind the counter, "It won't happen again, I promise." Before Tadashi had a chance to get even a few steps away from the counter, Aunt Cass suddenly grabbed a few napkins, plunking them down on the tray. Tadashi swayed from the force of her banging, the tray wobbling a bit in his hand. A second later she came back, tossing three donuts along with the rest of the food.

"They didn't order donuts," Tadashi pointed out, giving his aunt a puzzled look.

"They seem like nice girls," Cass said, "besides, if they made friends with _you_ they're gonna need all the sustenance they can get, know what I mean?" Tadashi rolled his eyes as she imitated a Southern twang, wiggling her fingers before sending him back to his friends. Laughing to himself at her antics, he walked carefully through the tables, sighing as he finally reached Honey and Go Go.

"Ugh, why can't those girls just leave us alone?" Go Go muttered under her breath, Honey eyeing the food from behind her menu as Tadashi held the tray above his head, carefully placing each dish on the table. They settling with a deep clunk, steam rising from the plates. Still glaring at the table of girls, Go Go nabbed a fry from her plate, munching on it quite angrily. Since she wasn't chewing her gum anymore, Tadashi assumed she threw it away. He cocked his head at Honey, gently giving her her own plate, nudging it against the menu.

"Honey Lemon?" he asked, "Are you okay?" The girl blinked in surprise, and he could se it took her a minute to process that he was indeed talking to her. Immediately, she turned on her usual megawatt smile that she had been wearing all day.

"Yeah! I'm fine!" she said, trying to change the subject, "This looks delicious!" The tone in her voice had changed. There was a crack, and he thought it looked like she was trying her best not to break out in tears. Tadashi shifted the focus to Go Go, who looked ready to rip someone to shreds.

"Go Go, is everything okay?" Tadashi whispered, crouching down slightly so he and Go Go were eye level. Sure, it was kin dog awkward, but it didn't help that she was just _so_ incredibly short. Go Go scowled, drumming her fingers on the table.

"Go Go," Tadashi repeated, "if something is happening you have to tell me as a staff member." Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Honey was still hiding behind her menu. Glancing back at the table of girls next to them, he saw them burst into peals of laughter, one of them sending a nasty glare their way. Tadashi nodded in their direction.

"Did they say something to you?" Tadashi demanded. Go Go was taken aback slightly by the harshness that crept into his tone.

"Well, we were just sitting here waiting for you and they just plopped themselves down and started glaring. One of them was talking obnoxiously loud about…." Go Go trailed, her eyes going to Honey Lemon warily.

"About what?" Tadashi prompted. Go Go sighed.

"… they sent some obvious remarks towards Honey. In Spanish."

"….Spanish?" Tadashi asked. Go Go nodded, and both heard Honey whimper behind her menu. Tadashi reached over and rubbed her back, trying his best to console her.

"Yeah…see, Honey Lemon is of Spanish heritage- so that means she understood it."

Tadashi let out a slow whistle. That didn't sound good. Or nice. or both. Why would anyone curse someone out for their _heritage_, of all things? Or _anything_? Sometimes it amazed him, how cruel people could be. He kept rubbing Honey's back, her shoulders beginning to jerk with sobs.

"Geez, Honey," Go Go clicked her tongue, shaking her head with disdain at the girls, who simply giggled. Tadashi pursed his lips, furrowing his brow. Realizing he still had Honey's green tea on the tray, he slammed it down on the table along with the extra donuts, some of the liquid sloshing over the side of the cup. Carefully, he plucked Honey's fingers from the menu, sliding it out of her hand. He was aware of their snickers once they saw her tears, her glasses fogging up. Heaving a heavy sigh, he glanced around for his aunt, but she was in the kitchen, having started to clean dishes.

I'll have to tie care of this then. Tadashi thought, biting his lip before, going to grab his notepad, winking at Go Go as he passed them, approaching the table of girls.

Immediately, they all smiled at him- somewhat lustfully, Tadashi might have added. Gulping, Tadashi glanced back at Honey and Go Go, who watched him with concern.

"Hello ladies, I'm Tadashi, I'll be your server today," Tadashi introduced himself, sounding like nothing had happened. "What can I get you today?"

"You can get me a glass," said on elf the girls, leaning forward across the table, "because I just found myself a tall drink of water. Right, girls?" Tadashi scratched his head, putting on what he hoped was a puzzled look.

"Really? Because even though blood is made of seventy percent water, if you were to actually drink any of mine, that would be considered cannibalism. And that would send you to jail." The girl blinked in astonishment as Tadashi went on, "Unless of course, you're trying to get me to join your legion of the undead, which doesn't exactly sound all that great." Tadashi grinned as he heard Honey and Go Go laugh- a little too loudly, it seemed.

"Excuse me?" the girl spat, jeering at Honey and Go Go as she yelled at them, "You put him up to this, you witch!" Honey widened her eyes, unsure of what to do. Tadashi could see her eyes screaming for help. Go Go rolled up the sleeves of her coat, jumping out of her chair.

"Last I checked, witches had warts," Go Go said, "which even your foundation couldn't cover up apparently." Tadashi widened his eyes at Go Go- he knew she was spunky, but was that really necessary?

Unfortunately this girl thought so.

One minute she was glaring angrily, the next minute she had jumped up from her seat and charged at Honey, who squealed and ducked under the table, Go Go leaping in front of her. Tadashi grimaced as the girl started flinging vile names around- all of the to horrible to repeat or even say in the first place.

Then he realized that this was the same girl from orientation. This was the girl who was gossiping with her friends and sending shady glances Honey's way when he had decided to sit with her that morning. Shit, Tadashi thought, grimacing as the girl turned on Go Go, customers glancing over to see what was wrong as they began to get louder.

"I see no reason why he would be hanging out with such an ugly girl!" the girl spat at Go Go, "If he's with anyone, it should be me!" Tadashi blinked, his face paling as Go Go rolled her eyes.

"Please," Go Go blew a raspberry, "Have you _looked_ in a mirror lately?"

That's when dishes went flying, breaking free from the table that he decided to intervene. Go Go and the other girl were almost on top of each other, throwing punches that would have put a WWE fighter to shame as Tadashi lifted the tiny girl off the other, kicking and clawing at the air as he lift dyer like Rafiki did Simba in the Lion King.

"Tadashi!" Go Go growled, "Put me down!"

"Okay, but you _have_ to stay put," Tadashi scolded her, "_Please_ don't beat up other customers! Aunt Cass would have a fit if she found out I let this happen!" The other girl sneered and grinned smugly, picking herself up off the floor. A look of triumph was plastered on her face as she crossed her arms, eyeing Honey venomously as the tall girl decided it was safe to climb back out from under the table.

"Yeah," the girl said, "wouldn't want to cause a scene now would we?"

That's when Tadashi snapped. Glaring ferociously, he turned on her, staring her down.

"Get out of my restaurant."

"Excuse me?" the girl said, "_Me_? What about _them_? The… the _hobbit_ over there attacked me!"

"As a customer, you ave the right to eat here," Tadashi said sternly, "But if you start harassing the other customers, _especially_ customers that are my _friends_, then I do not want people such as you to come eat here."

At this the girl scoffed, Jutting out her hip, she blew at her bangs, the bracelets around her wrists jangling like in an annoying Christmas carol. Tadashi kept his gaze cold, shoulders heaving heavily with each breath he took.

"As if I would get kicked out," she said, "Do you know who I am?"

"It doesn't matter who you are," Tadashi shook his head, "If you disrupt other diners I want you out of my restaurant."

"Then kick them out too!" the girl points an accusatory finger in Go Go and Honey's direction, "isn't it fair?"

Tadashi sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought. And just _where_ was Aunt Cass? She couldn't _possibly_ still be cleaning up, could she? Tadashi cracked his knuckles.

"This is a family owned, family friendly establishment," Tadashi explained to her, "now, if you disturb the peace in my restaurant, I reserve the right to throw you and anyone in your party out."

"As if," he heard one of her friends scoff. Another one of them was busy clicking away on their phone, not even paying attention.

"Did you not hear me?" Tadashi barked, his chest filling with some sort of bravado, adrenaline seeming to course wildly through his veins- which thankfully caught the group's attention. "I want you all out! Now!" There was dead silence as they slowly complied, the girl flipping him off as she went.

"Whatever," she snorted, "We didn't even want to eat at the stupid cafe. It's ugly. Come on, girls!"

"Yeah?" Tadashi yelled, "Well, we don't have time for your stupidity. And please, let the door hit you on the way out!"

Tadashi sighed, placing his hands on his hips a he turned back around to face Honey Lemon and Go Go. Both girls were a bit tentative to look, their mouths agape with shock and awe. Tadashi shrugged, going to help Honey sit down, Go Go just plopping herself down silently.

"You okay, Honey Lemon?" Tadashi asked, his whole demeanor having changed.

"U-Uh-huh…" she nodded, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. Nodding, he did the same with Go Go, who just stared at him, shoving a new piece of gum in her mouth to chew on.

"Alright," Tadashi said, "so, while you guys, uh, eat, I'll go grab a mop and clean this up….." Embarrassment flooded over him as a few other diners gave him nods of approval, and as he came back with a mop and dustpan, clapping suddenly erupted, taking the young man by surprise.

Quickly, he managed to clean up the mess before his friends had finished eating and gone home, Honey and Go Go thanking him profusely for what he had done.

The next morning, as she open up shop, Aunt Cass was confused as to why so many of her customers were asking for her nephew to serve them their food. Tadashi grinned, deciding to let slip past the incident. It was better to keep his aunt guessing than to start freaking out.


	4. Chapter 4

Fred heard the story from Honey the next day. He had been sitting in the science lab, lounging around while waiting for the classes to start. He figured he probably should have gotten there not quite as early; Honey and Go Go had arrived at least twenty minutes after, with cups of tea and coffee in their hands. Honey's face lit up once she saw him, placing down the cups to give him a welcoming hug.

"Freddie!" she said happily, "You won't believe what happened the other day!" Go Go shook her head, taking a swig of her drink and immediately gagging on it. Placing it down, she wiped at her face.

"Are you really hugging the troll, of all people?" Go Go joked, "I mean, he could have some weird disease or something." Fred stuck his tongue out at her, but knew she wasn't trying to be mean. Okay, _usually_ she _was_, but she was always less mean when with Honey, so he let the comment slide.

"So what happened?" Fred asked, taking off the head of his mascot suit Honey eyed it curiously, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Freddie, what's with the suit?" she asked, pointing to it.

"Maybe he's applying for a job at Freddie Fazbear's Pizza Parlor!" Go Go piped up, drumming her fingers on the side of her cup as she held it.

"Um, that's a _game_, first of all," Fred corrected her, "and to answer your question, I'm the school mascot! Isn't that awesome?" Honey cheered a Go Go groaned. Fred knew Go Go wasn't exactly fond of him, but he didn't care. She'd have to deal with it.

"Okay, okay," Fred coughed, changing the subject, "now tell me what happened!" Honey blushed, then sighed, pulling up a chair. The lights in the lab bounced off her hair, creating a shiny effect on the blond strands.

"So yesterday at orientation, Go Go and I met this guy-"

"What's his name?" Fred prompted, wiggling his eyebrows at her. Honey laughed, slapping his shoulder.

"Freddie!" she scolded, "But his name is Tadashi, and he's a very nice boy. Go Go!"

"Huh?" Go Go raised her head, looking around wildly. Drool had pooled on the table, some of it dripping on her chin. Honey laughed- Go Go always fell asleep if she ound someone's story boring. Which was always.

"Sorry…" Go Go wiped the drool off her face, using her sleeve to clean the shiny formica table. "What is it?"

"Tell Freddie what happened next!" Honey urged, wringing her hands. Go Go sighed, glaring at the mascot, wh just grinned.

"Alright," Go Go said, "if the lizard needs to know so badly. We went to this cafe that he owns with his family-" Fred furrowed his brow at the mention of a cafe. He could vaguely remember mentioning one to Wasabi the day before…. But what was the name? he thought, scratching his head s best he could. It wasn't really helping that he was wearing giant lizard paws on his costume.

"-and then these chicks decided they were gonna make fun of us, so we got into a little scuffle and-"

Fred had already drowned her out, still racking his brain for a name. The fanboy knew it involved something with an animal, which one he couldn't decipher.

"-Honey, the name of it?" Go Go asked her friend.

"Um, the Lucky Cat Cafe or something like that-" Suddenly Fred slammed the table, making both girl's jump. Honey gripped the sides of her chair, careful not to let it wobble.

"Freddie!" she cried, green eyes wide.

"Lucky Cat Cafe!" he yelled triumphantly, "That was it!" He grinned ecstatically at the girl's who exchanged nervous glances. Fred was excitable, but it was obvious he hand' been listening to the story at all. He looked at them, confused, "What?"

A bang sounded as Go Go slammed her forehead on the table.

"You weren't listening, were you?" Honey said flatly, then shrugged, taking out her phone. A small decoration hung from the pink case, making it look like a small raccoon was in her hands instead of a cell phone. Fred thought it was kinda cute, but he preferred Godzilla.

"Doesn't matter anyway," Honey assured him, "he has this class with us too! You can meet him!"

As if on cue, the door opened, slamming against its hinges. None of them bothered to see who it was, Fred jumping to sit up on the table, kicking his legs like a child.

"That's cool, Fred said, "One of my friends has this class too, so I told him about you guys." Go Go raised an eyebrow at him.

"You have friends?" she retorted, peeling her head off the table. The skin was red from where she banged it, little lines creasing in her skin.

"What do you call yourselves?" Fred sit back.

"I dunno, obligations?" Go Go began to count off her finger, "A pity party…. acquaintances is too nice. The list could go on, really." Fred back of his suit had started to itch, and he rubbed his head against his should to get it, seeing as the gloves on his suit were not sufficient for the activity.

"Fred, you look like an animal," Go Go pointed out.

"Why don't you try wearing a lizard suit all day and then we can talk," Fred drawled, "Ah… there we go. So she does class start?"

"Right about now," said a voice. The three of them turned their heads to see the owner of said voice leaning against the doorway, a brown messenger bag slung across his shoulder.

"Tadashi! You're here!" Honey exclaimed, "Come in!" Nodding politely, he waltzed in, pulling up a chair for himself. Fred scrutinized him as he moved, eyes narrowing as he inspected this new guy.

He was definitely suave, Fred had to give him that. With a black V-neck shirt, and matching baseball cap, he screamed 'coordinated', and everything about him seems to scream 'I'm better than you."

"Freddie, this is Tadashi!" Honey gushed, and Fred blinked lifting his head so they were staring one another in the eye.

His face was the total opposite of his clothes. Where his clothes were prep, his face was soft. Brown almond eyes peeked out fro under black hair, and Fred could see there was nothing but sincere…. niceness, if that was even a term, on his face as he reached over and held out a hand.

"Hey," he said, his deep voice sounding just like smooth molasses, "I'm Tadashi. Nice o meet you."

Fred gave him a sly grin as he reach over and grabbed the boy's hand, shaking it vigorously.

"Fredzilla at your service!" he joked, "How's it hanging?"

"It's going great! And yourself?" Tadashi asked, rubbing his wrist once he got his hand back. Fred's jaw dropped.

No one had _ever_ gone along with his jokes before. Nodding, he pointed to Tadashi, saying to Honey, "I like him. I say we keep him." Tadashi chuckled as Go Go snapped her gum.

"He's not a dog, idiot," she chastised him.

"On the contrary, I prefer cats," Tadashi clasped his hands on the table.

"Even better!" Fred was practically yelling, "Now you have to stay!"

"I guess it's a good thing I'm in this class then, huh?" Tadashi agreed, "And if you don't mind me asking, what's with the suit?"

"Oh, this?" Fred gestured to himself, "By day, I'm a school mascot…. by night, ale school mascot!"

"And Bestower of Annoying Nicknames," a voice said, and the four of them turned to see Wasabi stroll in, mumbling, "Did I _really_ have to get put in _this_ class?" Fred clapped him on the back as he pulled up a chair.

"Nicknames?" Tadashi mumbled, his cheeks tinged red.

"Oh, right!" Fred raised a mascot paw, pointing to each of his friends- starting with Honey Lemon, "This is Honey Lemon- because she's both sweet _and_ spicy!" Honey Lemon blushed as she shook her head, giggling.

"Lemons are really not…." she corrected him, but Fred had decidedly moved on.

"And this is Go Go, because she likes things to go, go, go really fast!" Fred imitated the sound of a car engine, jerking his shoulders as if he were driving a race car. Go Go rolled her eyes as he moved on, Wasabi groaning in agony.

"And blast but not least, we have Wasabi," Fred said proudly, opening his mouth to explain, until Wasabi suddenly slammed his fists on the table in a rage.

"I spilled wasabi on my shirt _one_ time!" he cried, "_One time_, people!" Everyone burst into gales of laughter, Go Go nearly choking on her gum. As she gagged, Fred tapped Wasabi for his attention, "Guess what, Wasabi?"

"What now?" Wasabi droned, rubbing his temples.

"Remember those friends I told you about?" Fred said, "these are them. Honey Lemon and Go Go Tomago." Fred watched as his friends exchanged meek hello's, but it was obvious they were experiencing first-day jitters. Everyone did, after all.

And now Fred was tasked with the job of bestowing upon Tadashi a nickname of his own.

Of course, it was going to be tough, seeing as Tadashi was the literal embodiment of perfection (and that was saying a lot since he and just met the guy). But if they were friends of Honey and Go Go's- and soon to be Wasabi's, he was sure- what was the harm in trying?

As they exchanged stories of summer fun and exhausting preparation for the new school year, Fred set to work, determined to make Tadashi's nickname the best one he had ever created.


	5. Chapter 5

Professor Robert Callaghan was surprised to see a group of students already making themselves comfortable in the lab when he walked in, gabbing and exchanging numbers like they were old friends. He couldn't help but notice it was the same group he had seen in the audience at the orientation ceremony the other day. At least, he thought it was. In his middle agedness- if that was even a term- he found himself second-guessing a lot of things nowadays. Clapping his hands idly, he caught their attention, the blond girl nudging a boy with a teal beanie to look up from whatever he was doing (whilst wearing a mascot suit, no less.)

"Well, uh, it's nice seeing some new faces here," he greeted them with a slight nod, and some of them replied with small "hello's" or a simple salute. The other girl- the one with purple streaks in her hair- was blowing bubblegum just as she had at the opening ceremony, looking as bored as ever.

"Sir, when will we be starting to build the robots?" piped up one of the young men, and Robert slicked his hair back as he pondered the question, jumping as he met his eyes.

It was the young man he had stolen a glance at as he walked onstage and delivered his speech, he knew. He was wearing the same black baseball cap to hide the same messy black hair. His almond shaped brown eyes glittered with wonder and admiration as he waited for an answer, politely clasping his hands on the table in front of him. As he looked at him, the light seemed to glorify his presence, and Robert tugged a bit at his collar, undoing the top button as his breath came in haggard gasps.

Either he was getting older by the minute or this kid was having some sort of….. _effect_ on him.

"And you are…?" he trailed off, waiting for a name.

"Oh, right! Tadashi Hamada, sir, pleasure to meet you!" he replied quickly, half-standing as he went to shake the professor's hand. Robert was surprised by his strong grip, his wrist twitching slightly as their hands met. Tadashi's skin was as smooth as a finely cultivated pearl, a pillow for his rough, callous decorated fingers with cracked skin and a few liver spots here and there. Once Tadashi pulled away, Robert let his hand linger before letting it fall momentarily at his side.

"Well, Mr. Hamada," he cleared his throat, acutely aware of the heat left on his hand, Tadashi's fingers having left a ghostly presence on his skin, "You can get started anytime you like-"

"Great!" the student exclaimed, jumping out of his chair, "You know, I've had this idea that I think could really help people, and I want to get started on it as soon as possible. Of course, I'll have to bring in the blueprints from home, but-" The blond girl, Robert noticed out of the corner of his eye, chuckled to herself as Tadashi rambled, having begun playing around with some of the equipment- a hacksaw, a few test-tubes, and a rather large piece of scrap vinyl.

"You already have blueprints….?" Robert asked awkwardly, feeling the heat rise to his face. Never before had he met a student so prepared for class, no so enthusiastic. Tadashi ignored his question, picking up the vinyl and holding it up against his face, scrutinizing the others as if he were a detective staring through a magnifying glass, one eye squeezed shut. The professor's gaze darted automatically to Tadashi's lips, how his tongue stuck out slightly between his teeth as he observed them, turning the vinyl over in his hands. They looked incredibly soft….

_What the hell?_ Robert scolded himself, shaking his head, _He's a student, you shouldn't be thinking such things… _Shaking his head, he pushed the thought away, nearly shivering at the fact he had thought of something so absolutely vile. Tadashi's voice pulled him back to reality:

"I'm gonna need a lot of vinyl, sir," he stated, "Probably about a good pound or three of it." Robert opened his mouth to say something, surprised when the blond girl spoke up herself. Robert turned to look at her as she spoke.

"Is vinyl even measured in pounds, Tadashi?" she pointed out, pushing a pair of large hot pink glasses up the bridge of her nose. Tadashi shrugged.

"You know, I'm not even sure, but I guess I'll figure it out later, huh?" was tadashi's nonchalant reply, tucking the scrap under his arm. Whistling to himself, he added, "But I' definitely going to try to start as soon as possible. Who knows how long this will take?"

They watched as Tadashi began digging through other buckets of material lying around, gasping and squealing with excitement as he found wires and broken pieces of metal, nuts and bolts just lying around. It was almost like seeing a hobo dumpster diving for dinner, marveling at each piece of food he would find that was even remotely edible.

As Robert watched him, he had decided that this Tadashi Hamada was one to watch. If he had such a reaction to the boy again, then something was definitely up.

Hopefully it wouldn't hinder his position as a teacher, but he knew, as he filled the others in on the curriculum, that only time could tell.


	6. Chapter 6

With it being Saturday, Wasabi decided to call up Fred and go to the cafe like they had planned. He knew he was probably in for a world of trouble, but Fred was, well, _Fred_- once he wanted to do something there was no way to back out of it.

"Awesome man!" Wasabi winced as Fred's voice nearly blasted out of the receiver, "Meet you there in five- I'll bring the girls!" Dial tone filled the void before Wasabi could answer, and he placed the phone neatly back on the receiver, sighing with a heavy shrug of his shoulders.

It seemed he would be doomed for the afternoon. _But_, he thought, suddenly perking up, _he said he'd bring the girls…._ Thoughts trailing, he opened the door to his closet and went through the different sweaters he owned, trying to remember their names.

"Lacy and Jo Jo?" he wondered aloud, then shook his head as he held a sweater gingery between his fingers, the cotton feeling slightly worn between his fingertips. He folded it up carefully, placing it on a nearby nightstand. He'd have to give that one away to goodwill tomorrow if he had time. Ambling over to his nightstand, he reached for a white radio clock on his dresser, flicking the switch.

"Yes! This is my JAM!" he cried aloud to no one as the thumping bass wafted through the speakers, underlying tones of sharp drums and a twanging guitar. Shimmying his shoulders along with the beat, he mumbled the lyrics to himself as best he could, his throat vibrating as he sang.

"Dun-dun -Imooooo-mortals…" Wasabi sang in a half whisper as he shook his hips, fighting the urge to just belt out the lyrics. It was hard, seeing as the band's vocalist, Patrick Stump, was so energetic. As he sang he pulled a green sweater over his head, a pair of jeans scratching their way up his legs at the same moment.

As the song reached the end, Wasabi couldn't help but nearly scream the last word, his voice cracking as he attempted to hit that oh so very high note:

"_IM-MOOORTALS! IMOOOOOOOO-IMMORTALS!"_

"_WASABI_!" Wasabi froze as his mother yelled at him through the wall, "_KEEP IT DOWN!_"

Cringing, Wasabi grinned to himself, "Sorry, Ma!" He didn't have the heart to tell her she had used his nickname instead of his actual name. People used the nickname from Fred so much that sometimes he thought it was his _actual_ name.

He didn't let it bother him though. Even if Fred was insanely annoying he could be a pretty cool dude. _And besides_, Wasabi thought, _he's introducing me to a few girls! That'll be fun! _For some reason he had always wanted to be able to ask a girl out, but he never had the charisma to do so. His mother teased him with the possibility of him being gay, but he wasn't sure that was him. Not that there was anything wrong with that- he just didn't swing that way. And besides, a few of his old family friends were gay, and they were very respectable people.

Brushing away the thought, he made sure to flick the lights to his rom off as he left, closing the door softly behind him. The plush carpet in the hallway left footprints wherever he walked, and he grinned to himself as he heard the song- Fall Out Boy's _Immortals_, to be precise- softly playing in his room, muffled through the wood of the closed door. Sneaking a quick glance at his mother's door (her room was right next door to his own), he crept carefully down the stairs. His mother liked to sleep in on Saturdays, and if she was woken up by so much as a creak, there would be hell to pay.

Once he made it safely down the steps he waltzed his way into the kitchen. Every surface was tinged with a pink color, but Wasabi knew it was obviously salmon. In fact, whenever a friend came over and they commented that he was quite the fan of pink, he'd say just that:

"Salmon! It's _obviously_ salmon!"

Going to the drawers, he opened each one until he found where his mother kept the writing utensils. Despite being very clean, the kitchen drawers were not. Pens and markers were jumbled up amongst rubber bands and can openers. It skewed him to think that a member of his own family was so messy, but he knew he couldn't force everyone to be clean and tidy. Plucking a sticky- note off the counter, he scribbled messily before grabbing his satchel and bounding out the screen door, jumping as it banged on the hinges behind him.

As he walked his way down the street, his phone began ringing, and Wasabi expertly flipped it open, rolling his eyes at the screen name:

'Fredzilla' appeared in flashing block letters, blinking like a stoplight.

Groaning, he hit 'Accept', "Hey Fred! I just left my house-"

"Awesome dude!" Fred's voice was cackling through the receiver, "Yeah, my friend is just dropping me off at the cafe now; hold on a sec, 'kay?" Wasabi raised an eyebrow as he heard Fred on the other end:

"Yeah, right here, Heathcliff. Thanks buddy- hey, anything you want me to bring home? Alright, see ya later my man!" Wasabi heard the slam o a car door and the engine faintly driving away before Fred decided to return to the call, "Sorry, that was Heathcliff. Anyway, where were we?"

It took Wasabi a minute to reply, "Oh! Uh, so you're at the cafe now? What was the name of it again?"

Laughter. "Oh, it's called The Lucky Cat Cafe. You can't miss it, there's a giant cat on the front of the building." There was a pause, Fred adding, "Oh, I see the girls coming down the block now. See you soon, man!"

_Click. _

Wasabi sighed, flipping the phone closed and slipping it back in his pocket. As he continued down the street, entering the main square of San Fransokyo, he regretted not having worn a lighter shirt. Sure, sweaters were great, but when it felt like you were taking a bath with Satan, that's when it was time to change wardrobes. Sweat beaded on his skin, and Wasabi wiped it away roughly with the back of his hand.

Dodging a young woman who was riding a bicycle, Wasabi managed to cross the street, fairy lights and red paper lanterns hanging from telephone wires. Small planes flew overhead in the bright blue sky, fluffy clouds dotting the clear surface. The blacktop of the street was scorching, heat waves radiating from underneath passerby shoes as he ambled down the block, passing dainty boutiques and quaint tea shops. If the meet-up place was a cafe, then it had to be nestle amongst one of the stores.

"Lucky Cat…." Wasabi murmured, glancing around as he searched for the venue. There was the Jumping Bean, but at this hour it was probably too late for a cup of coffee. Next to that was a hat store, and next to that?

The Lucky Cat Cafe, a rather large cat sitting on the awning, coming to of the triangular roof to wave hello. Wasabi squinted across the street and he could see Fred lounging lazily in front of the restaurant, chatting casually with the girls he met yesterday. _Honey and Go Go!_ he remembered, mustering up all his courage to stroll nonchalantly down the street and wave to them like any normal person would.

"H-Hey!" Wasabi managed to stammer out once he saw the trio, all smiles and warm welcomes, "What's up?" Smiling, he listened politely as Honey Lemon- That was her name, Wasabi remembered finally- filled him in, spouting things about chemical mixtures and the after-effects of formaldehyde. Her green eyes shone as she went on, brushing her blond hair behind her ears and smoothing the skirt of her pale yellow sundress, paired with tall pink sandal wedges.

"So, how are you this afternoon?" her question broke through his thoughts, and Wasabi felt his face getting hot as he played absentmindedly with one of his dreads. Go Go rolled her eyes at him, blowing a rather large bubble before it popped in her face, making her jump in surprise.

"Nice blowing, Go Go!" Fred joked, sticking his tongue out at her as she snapped her gum.

"Whatever, Gator Boy," she teased back, playfully punching his arm. Wasabi was surprised. Fred was usually very, well, nerdy and annoying. Seeing him hanging out casually with two girls (_very pretty girls_, he had to admit) was very surprising, and kind of…. _nice_. Wasabi thought it showed a nice side to him, one that Wasabi would be very okay with seeing more often.

"Well, shall we go inside?" Fred grabbed the door just as it swung open, a little girl and her father walking out, "Honey and Go Go said they were hungry."

Wasabi shrugged, "Why else would we be here if we _weren't_ hungry?" Fred just laughed and they waltzed inside, a blast of cool air hitting them in the faces from an unseen air conditioner. It felt as if he were being wrapped in a blanket compared to the heat outside. That, and he noticed that cats were everywhere.

Not actual cats, but little figurines and things like that. Small cats, big cats, medium sized cats. Cats made of glass, cats made of clay- they were everywhere! Tugging at his collar, he followed Honey, Fred, and Go Go to a table over by the large window, chairs scraping the floor loudly. The gold paint on the window that displayed the cafe's name was peeling, and Wasabi fought the urge to pick off the little gold flecks that threatened to beak free from the glass. The walls, he noticed were painted a pale green, matching his sweater perfectly (he was thankful no one had pointed it out yet, or the fact that he was wearing a sweater in such distressing heat.)

"Honey! Go Go!"

The four of them turned to find a woman run up to them excitedly, clenching and unclenching her fingers as she wrapped each girl in a bear hug, ruffling Fred's hiar- although, since he was wearing the same beanie from yesterday's orientation, she ended up rubbing the wool with her palm, skewering it out of place on his head. Wasabi scanned the woman up and down as she began to chat with the girls:

She was very pretty for an older woman, with kind brown eyes and a wide smile. Her brown hair was short, and she wore a black t-shirt over a pair of capris, ballet flats on her feet. A white apron covered her clothes and she was covered with flour, the white powder rising and falling as she moved.

"So, who are these handsome fellas, huh?" she joked, jabbing Honey with her elbow. Go Go rolled her eyes as Honey blushed.

"Oh, this is Fred," she pointed tot eh fanboy, who was grinning broadly, then to Wasabi, "And this is Wasabi." The woman clapped her hands excitedly.

"Oh, you two must know my nephew!" she blurted, pushing her hair out of her face, as she added quickly, "I should tell him you guys are here you can all hang out-"

"Miss Hamada, it's okay," Go Go cut her off bluntly, leaning back in her chair.

"Go Go I told you- call me Aunt Cass!" she replied, "And _besides_, Tadashi's been holed up in his room _all day_- Hiro is so busy with him these days I do not know _what_ those two even do with their lives anymore, I swear-"

_Aunt Cass?_ Wasabi thought as she walked away mumbling to herself. She didn't look that old. There was a possibility that she was Tadashi's mother, but they didn't look at all related. _And who's Hiro? _ Letting his eyes dart around, his gaze brushed many other patrons as they read newspapers or sipped from steaming bowls of soup. An old man was quietly humming to himself as he adjusted a pair of headphones on his ears.

"Wasabi?" Cass Hamada's voice broke through his daydreaming, and he turned to her, startled to see her standing there patiently, pencil poised above her notepad.

"Oh, yeah?" Wasabi ran a hand awkwardly through his hair.

"What would you like to have, sweetheart?" she asked politely, gesturing to the menus sitting on the table. Quickly he skimmed the items on the menu, rattling off some random oder before she walked away, leaving the four teens in peace.

"So, Wasabi," Go go said through her gum, "What do you plan on working on at the lab?"

Wasabi was caught off guard- Go Go was asking _him_ about _his_ plans? Coughing into his fist, he said plainly, "Oh, uh, something involving plasma, hopefully. Nothing major." Go Go didn't answer, instead nodded silently as she stuck out her tongue, a wad of pink hanging on the end. Without missing a beat, she plucked it off her tongue and smacked it onto the table, crossing her arms defiantly. She smirked as she watched him try not to shiver.

Gross, he thought, a voice calling for their attention:

"Go Go, we have rules about gum. Either wrap it up and throw it away or swallow."

"Whatever, Tadashi," Go Go gave him an exasperated sigh as she peeled the nasty goop off the table, leaving pink strings on the formica and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. Fred whooped loudly as it went in, imitating a score manager at a basketball game.

"And the crowd goes wild!" he laughed, Honey laughing along with him. Wasabi thought it sounded almost like bells, light and soft.

"Very funny, Fred," Tadashi admonished, plates clinking on the tray that he held. With shaking hands, Wasabi watched as Tadashi slow placed eat plate on the table, sighing with relief once his trembling fingers released the ceramic dining ware. "Okay, who ordered the octopus miso soup?" There was a strained silence as everyone looked over their meals. Was abi noticed the others already had plates in front of them, fried dishes of chicken and hot bowls of long noodles.

So that meant the dish was his.

"Uh, that'd be me," Wasabi said sheepishly. Tadashi raised an eyebrow at him, glaring at the bowl he was holding.

"Are you sure?" he asked, "Because even though miso soup is commonly a Japanese dish, my Aunt decided to mix it up with octopus. I don't know if you'd like it."

Wasabi tugged at his collar- was it getting hotter in the restaurant? Or was it just him? Tadashi waited patiently, and Wasabi could feel his eyes boring into him for a response.

"Y-yeah!" Wasabi declared nervously, "I love octopus!" Grinning, Tadashi placed the dish in front of him, the smell making Wasabi want to hurl.

"If you insist," he sighed, tucking the tray under his arm, "Enjoy, okay? I'll be at the bar if you ned anything."

A Tadashi waled away, Honey Lemon and Go Go filled the two boys in on Tadashis background:

"The woman you guys met? That's his aunt, "said Honey, "she's so sweet, right?"

"Hiro is apparently his little brother," Go Go chimed in lazily inspecting her nails with a deadpan expression, "I heard the kid graduated high school at thirteen."

Wow, Wasabi thought, gulping as he stole a glance at his dish.

To make a long story short, it did not look at all appetizing.

"Oh!" Honey's exclamation distracted him from his doom, "And they have a darling little cat named Mochi-"

"Like the food?" Fred asked, smiling when Honey nodded.

"Also, Wasabi, they're half Caucasian, half Japanese" Go Go said, chomping on her fries, "Since you looked a tad confused when Tadashi's Aunt Cass introduced herself." Wasabi nodded. That explained that then.

"What about their parents?" Fred piped up between mouthfuls of meat. He was eating a burger- very sloppily, mustard and ketchup and bread spewing from his mouth, stuck between his teeth. There was a pause as Honey opened her mouth to answer, only to reply with a simple "I don't know, actually. We never asked, but I'm sure he'll tell us sometime."

As Wasabi tried to listen and pick politely at the octopus legs lounging in his soup, the tinkling of a bell caught his attention and he looked up to see Professor Callaghan stride into the cafe, hands jammed into the pockets of his brown trousers. He was wearing a white button down shirt under a red sweater vest, sending a nod their way when he noticed the students.

"Hey, what's Professor Callaghan doing here?" Go Go asked, her brown eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"It's a restaurant, silly!" Honey giggled, "Everyone is allowed to eat here- besides, why is it weird to see a teacher outside of school?" Go Go shrugged, the leather of her jacket creaking and squealing.

"I dunno," Go Go said, "I always assumed they lived in some sort of burrow underneath the building like a bunch of sewer rats or something." Wasabi laughed along with Fred and Honey, watching their teacher out of the corner of his eye. The older man sat himself down at a table, patiently waiting for someone to take his order as he flipped through the menu.

A few minutes later, he saw Tadashi stride over, with a blue apron tied around his waist, and he was wearing a plan white t-shirt paired with blue jeans and green sneakers. Wasabi recognized the shoes as the ones Tadashi had worn at orientation, then to class the next day once school had officially started. As they began to chat, wasabi thought he noticed Professor Callaghan fidget in his chair, as if he was trying to scotch closer to the twenty-one year old student.

"Weird…" Wasabi muttered to himself, as Tadashi was obviously oblivious to the action- he probably did notice it, but Wasabi knew the guy wasn't _stupid_-

"What's weird?" Honey asked, regaining his attention.

"Oh, uh, nothing!" Wasabi said, his voice squeaking as he tried sounding chipper. Thankfully Honey accepted this answer and went back to discussing whatever it was she was talking about with Fred and Go Go.

His octopus miso soup was now old, but Wasabi didn't care, as he watched Tadashi walk away from Callaghan's table, to come back later with a platter of fried fish. Amongst the din, he strained to hear their conversation, but to no avail.

However, it seemed that Tadashi had froze in his place as Professor Callaghan beckoned him to bend over so he could whisper in his ear, and he thought he could see the young man's face turn beet red with embarrassment.

Wasabi watched as Tadashi managed to slink away back to the bar after a few minutes, disappearing behind the silver double doors that he presumed lead to the kitchen.


End file.
